Runway Extension If Government Agrees

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29754, 22 February 1962, Page 15

Runway Extension If Government Agrees

A R a r * S k’ k ut * s a r * s k wort h taking,” said Cr. . f Guthrey, chairman of the Airport Committee, last evening ot the City Council’s decision to call tenders immediately tor extension of the Christchurch airport runway to take pure jet aircraft.

The decision is subject to the Government accepting a from the council for the State’s share of the runway to oUUOft.

The council approved its financial committee’s recommendation that the Government be lent up to £25.000 from the money received by the council from its sale of s^res in the Christchurch Milk Company. The airport committee said development of the airport to jet standards now was vital to New Zealand and to the South Island in particular.

Reporting on the meeting he. the chairman of the finance committee (Cr. H. P. Smith) and the airport manager (Mr A. I. R. Jamieson) had with the Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) in Wellington on Tuesday, Cr. Guthrey said they had been “rather disappointed but not disheartened” that the Minister had not given an on-the-spot decision on Government participation. The Director of Civil Aviation (Sir Arthur Nevill) was strongly of the opinion that Harewood should remain a regional airport. Cr. Guthrey

said. But he recalled that when there were representations for Harewood to be made a regional airport there were some experts who thought it was a wicked waste of money.

the need for navigational aids, Cr. Guthrey said they were being discussed as a separate issue. Navigational aids were expensive and there was an order of priorities. Christchurch was one of the safest airports in the world and because of that it had a low priority. Navigation Aids “We are going to get the navigational aids a lot sooner by getting the runway.” he said.

Mangere was expected to be ready in 1964 and it was likely that five international airlines would be serving New Zealand through Auckland. “We run the risk that none of them will want to use Christchurch, but we see it as a pretty good risk,” Cr. Guthrey continued. It would take about a year for the runway work, so Harewood would only be a year ahead of Mangere. “We have the money now, and we might not have it later,” he said. “We also know that Governments change and that a Government’s policy can change. It may be that when Mangere is operating the Government will feel it is not justified in spending any money on international airports.” Replying on questions on

“But we have no control over navigational aids—they are a matter for the Civil Aviation Administration. We have a say over the runways.” Apart from its share of the extension, the only expense to w’hich the Government would be committed would be the shifting of the runway limits; and the Government would not quibble about that if it approved the major matter. Cr. G. D. Griffiths said earlier that he was a little concerned that navigational aids were required to make the airport suitable for full jet use. If the Government was not prepared to meet the expense in a reasonable time, the money the council was proposing to spend on the actual runway might be wasted in terms of interest lost. “We can’t afford to stand by and accept what we have been told in the past that we musrt. wait for the completion of Mangere before Harowood gets jets,” said Mr R M. Macfarlane. M.P. But it would be futile to have an extension which could not be used.

“If we are ready, the opportunity may come for us to use the airport for jets," commented the Mayor (Mr G. Manning). “If we don’t have the extension and jets want to come, then we will be to blame.”